Woman thought ‘malnourished’ coyote was hanging around her home — 2 months later, she adopted the dog after discovering its painful past

Initially, she was not able to find a way with him, as the adorable pup was more skittish than friendly.

PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO

(L) A rare white dog rests high up on a large rock, surveying the landscape, (R) Young cheerful woman enjoying with her dog in the park. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) victor pashkevich, (R)LordHenriVoton)

A woman feared a coyote was circling her house every day, but then a heartwarming twist changed everything. Pet owner Stephanie (@stephanieruocco) had just moved into a new house on top of a mountain and was still getting used to the wildlife around her. One day, a white animal appeared in her yard, aimlessly wandering around her house while her pet cats watched its whereabouts from the safety of their home. At first glance, Stephanie believed it was a coyote. She soon realized it was a poorly thin dog looking for food. The random encounter became an opportunity for a new friendship to begin. The Dodo (@thedodo) covered Stephanie’s meet-cute with C.J on TikTok, amassing 96,500 views.

White wolf lying on grass - Representative Image Source: Pexels | Shirley Gaultier — White dog lying on grass. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Shirley Gaultier)

When the snow-white dog emerged from the woods out of nowhere, Stephanie kept an eye on him, thinking of it as a wild animal. “I woke up in the morning, and I’m like, ‘What is this?’ I thought it was a coyote,” she said. The woman was wary about the wildlife because her house was located in a private spot in the mountains. It pained her to see a malnourished, bone-thin dog like him. Some people informed her that the dog had actually been missing for months since February. Initially, she was not able to find a way with him, as the adorable pup was more skittish than friendly. He fled at the first sight of humans, but eventually, his behavior began to change.

Woman sitting outside with her dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Aliaksei Semirski)

“He was starting to stay closer to the house,” Stephanie explained. The video showcased candid footage of their initial meetings and interactions before the pup finally became a part of the family. It took her two whole months to even get close to C.J. As their bond strengthened, C.J. did not enter their home until three months later. The pet owner reminisced about the first night he slept in their home on the third of July. Stephanie and her husband were happy and willing to adopt the pup. They contacted the former owner and got the ownership transferred to them. Nowadays, Stephanie finds herself spoiling her dog with toys from Amazon. As insinuated in the post’s caption, Stephanie was not a dog person but has been clearly obsessed with her pup ever since.

@thedodo Even their three cats got in on the rescue mission — and the moment they finally get to meet the dog is so adorable 💞 We spoke to @Stephanie ♬ original sound - The Dodo

Her sweet story has been melting hearts on the internet, with many people expressing gratitude for Stephanie providing a home for the lost pup. “He finally found the home he wanted,” marked @fashion_queen_21 and @texand said, “He rehomed himself. Thank you for taking him in!” A comment by @vampirism.m appreciated the former owner’s selfless gesture. “The fact that the [sic] owner understands that the dog is exactly where he needs to be is so heartwarming. So many people would demand their pet be returned.” People speculated that C.J. was a white German Shepherd breed. According to PawMaw, about 10 million pets go missing annually, with 670,000 dogs reported missing specifically.

You can follow @stephanieruocco and @thedodo on TikTok for more videos.